Lock for bracelets, belts and the like

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to locks for bracelets, belts and the like to fasten two ends of the same together. The lock basically includes sliders which are attached to the ends of the bracelet, etc., with the sliders having rack formations which are engaged by a single gear to effect the simultaneous inward and outward movement of these sliders. Associated with the gear is a ratchet wheel and depressable keys are provided for effecting the locking, releasing and rotation of the ratchet wheel and the associated gear.

The invention relates generally to locks for bracelets, belts or thelike, and more particularly to locks as required for jewelry or wristwatchbands to fasten two ends thereof together.

With respect to known bracelets of the above set forth type, one endgenerally is undetachably connected to the lock, whereas the other endmay be fastened to the lock and detached from the lock again in anysuitable manner. Also, locks are known which can be detachably fastenedboth at one of the ends with the end of a bracelet or chain and at itsother end with the other end of the bracelet or chain, for the purposeof selectively mounting such locks to a multitude of bracelets and thusto simplify stock supply. Furthermore, bracelets are known which areprovided with a lock so designed that the length of the band can bevaried within certain limits, the two main parts of the lock as a ruleengaging into one another a selected depth covering one another aselected amount or hooking into another in overlap. Generally this leadsto lack of symmetry degrading the looks of the whole device.

The object of the invention first of all is the creation, in particularwhere jewelry is concerned and above all in this respect watchwristbands and also fancy belts, of locks for these devices which allowsome change in length of the bracelet or belt while however preservingthe symmetry between the two ends of the band and the lock in allpositions.

To above stated end, with respect to a lock fastening the two ends of abracelet, belt or the like, in which at least one end of the bracelet isdetachable from the lock, the invention provides that each of the twobracelet ends is connected to a movable part of the lock, or may beconnected to it, such movable parts moving synchronously but oppositelyto each other and essentially along the longitudinal direction of thebracelet and being arbitrarily lockable in a selected position. Avariety of elements may be provided as moving parts fo the lock, forinstance sliders, control rods, levers and the like. Sliders, forinstance, may be guided in length wise guides in the lock. Again thesesliders may be provided with gear racks or be designed as such,associated with a gear meshing with the racks at opposite sides. In thismanner every motion of the slider is transmitted through its rack to thegear and from the gear to the rack of the second slider and onto thesecond slider. In lieu of gear and rack, many other elements such asdouble-levers, cams and the like may be used for obtaining symmetry,engaging for instance slotted guides, connecting or driving rods and thelike. The simplest possible means in this fashion allow a synchronousdisplacement of the two bracelet or band ends with respect to the lock.

The locking into position of the slider at the desired point may becarried out advantageously in simple manner by means of a disconnectablepawl or another disconnectable component, for instance, acting on one ofthe two gear-racks or on the gear. However, a special ratchet-wheel maybe associated with the gear, if appropriate, for instance connecting thegear rigidly or through an intermediate gear and operating jointly withthe pawl or other locking element. The pawl or locking element may bedisconnected by a suitable element, for instance a disconnect-keyappropriately mounted at one of the narrow sides of a lock housing. Forreasons of reliability provision also may be made for two pawls orlocking elements each one of which may then be disconnectable by aspecial disconnect-component, whereby the lock may only be opened ifboth disconnecting elements, for instance disconnect-keys, aresimultaneously activated. These two disconnect-keys may beadvantageously mounted at the opposite narrow faces of the lock housing.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the ratchet wheel connected tothe synchronous gear may be used to control the advance-motion of themovable sliders by depressing a key or keys. One of the pawls of theratchet-wheel in this instance then is used as both an advance and alocking pawl if no additional control elements are desired. The advancefor each depression of the key(s) appropriately is selected to be equalto the tooth pitch of the ratchet-wheel, so that every depression of thekey is followed by stepping of the ratchet wheel forward by one tooth.In this case, too, the lock may be opened by simultaneously depressingboth keys, that is both the advance-key and the disconnect key.Furthermore one of the two keys, in particular the one which togetherwith its associated pawl is not used to narrow the lock, may serve toopen the lock step-wise until reaching a maximum latchable width of thebracelet, after which the complete opening of the bracelet is possibleonly through additional measures. This again can be achieved bysimultaneously depressing both keys.

Another embodiment of the invention, however, allows to design one ofthe two sliders as including at least two parts, both parts beingtelescopable into one another in the direction of motion of the sliderand lending themselves to being locked when so telescoped into eachother. Obviously, both sliders may also be of such design. This providesadditional space for the connection of the associated bracelet to thelock. Either of the two keys for the step-wise advance or stepwiseopening of the lock may be used advantageously to disconnect the pawlbetween the two parts of a slider, provided that when the slider is inone of its end positions, the locking of the slider parts be eliminatedby a disconnect element connected with or controlled by the associatedkey.

Many embodiments are feasible in accordance with the invention. Thedrawing illustrates one embodiment, where the essential parts andcertain possible variations are illustrated partly in diagrammaticalform for the sake of greater comprehensibility.

IN THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the lock as viewed from one of thelongitudinal faces.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view taken along the line2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of the lock of FIG. 2 withseveral modified parts.

FIG. 4 is another sectional view of the lock with a further possiblemodification.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of another lock embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of certain parts of the lock of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a partial transverse sectional view taken generally along line7--7 of FIG. 6.

As regards the lock embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,two push-keys 12 and 13 are displaceably supported in a housing 11essentially formed of two parts 111 and 112. These keys 12 and 13 aremounted at the opposite lengthwise faces of housing 11 and are locatedin recesses of housing parts 111 and 112. A gear 15 is rotatablysupported on a shaft 14 connected with the lower part of the housing andthis gear is connected itself with a ratchet-wheel 16 which is alsorotatably supported on shaft 14. Gear 15 meshes with two gear-racks 17and 19 displaceably mounted inside recesses of housing parts 111 and 112respectively, the gear-racks meshing from opposite sides of gear 15. Ifgear 15 is rotated, the two gear-racks are synchronously displaced indirections opposite to each other. Gear-racks 17, 19 are designed assliders and by means of their outward-pointing ends 171 and 191 holdends 201 and 202, respectively, of a watch wristband, not shown inparticular detail, one end 202 being solidly and rigidly connected togear-rack end 191, while the other end 201 hooks into a hook-shapedextension 172 of gear-rack 17.

The plate-like housing parts 111 and 112 connected by spacers 113 andthe keys 12 and 13 inside the housing are guided by means of guide-barsor ledges 115. If for instance, key 12 is depressed, the key moves atright angle to the lengthwise sides of the housing and rotation of theratchet-wheel 16 on shaft 14 by one tooth 161 is effected by means ofpawl 21 supported by key 12 and engaging the ratchet wheel 16. Theposition to which ratchet wheel 16 is moved is secured by a lockinglatch 22 engaging the ratchet wheel from the opposite side. Latch 22 ispivotably supported on a pin 23 carried by housing 11. Together with thestepwise rotation of ratchet wheel 16 there occurs a correspondingrotation of gear 15 in the counter-clockwise sense, so that gear-racks17 and 19 are displaced synchronously and oppositely to each other.Thereby the ends 201 and 202 of the bracelet are made to move towardseach other and the effective length of the bracelet is shortened in evenmeasure from both ends.

A pressure is exerted on both keys 12 and 13 in the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the purpose of loosening the bracelet.Key 13 is provided on one side with a recess 131 receiving latch 22which has its end 221 resting against the wall of the recess. When key13 is depressed, latch 22 disengages from ratchet wheel 16. Simultaneouspressure on key 12 disconnects also advance pawl 21, so that pawl 21, byits nose 211, is guided outward over the front face of attachment 132and pawl tooth 212 thereby is disengaged from ratchet wheel 16. Bothpawl 21 and latch 22 are pressed by a common spring 24 into theirengaging position as shown in FIG. 2, the spring also simultaneouslyacting as a return spring for key 12. This spring rests with its twoends against the stopping edges of pawl 21 and latch 22. A spring 25clamped by one end into the housing wall is provided as return springfor key 13 by acting on the stopping edge of key 13.

Only the components essential to the invention are shown for bettercomprehensibility in the modification of FIG. 3, the lock housing beingindicated by a shaded contour. Depressing one of the keys insuresshortening of the effective length of the bracelet and depressing theother an increase of it. Only a few modifications with respect to theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are required to achieve thesefunctions. For the sake of simplicity, the same reference numerals applyto the parts of FIGS. 1 and 2 which are not modified and a newdescription therefore is superfluous. The ratchet wheel of the modifiedembodiment of FIG. 3 is essentially different, and is denoted by thenumeral 36. The ratchet wheel 36 is solidly and rigidly connected withgear 15 acting on gear racks 17 and 19 and is provided with two sets ofteeth 361 and 362 of different outer diameters. Locking latch 22 and alocking beak 133 additionally provided on key 13 operate jointly withthe set of teeth 361. When key 13 of FIG. 3 is depressed, latch 22 isdisengaged and simultaneously locking beak 133 engages the gap betweentwo teeth of set 361. The ratchet wheel 36 then can rotate clockwise,that is in the direction of loosening, only until the next tooth fromset 361 touches locking beak 133. If thereupon key 13 is released,locking latch 22 engages the adjacent tooth-gap of set 361 and theratchet wheel following disconnection of locking beak 133 then iscapable of rotating clockwise by the residual amount of one toothelevation.

The tooth-by-tooth loosening of the bracelet is possible because anadvance pawl 31, corresponding to pawl 21 of FIG. 2, was kept out ofengagement with the associated tooth-set 362 for advance of ratchetwheel 36. This is obtained by combining the decrease of the diameter ofthe tooth-set 362 by a stop 38 limiting the pivotal excursion of pawl31, which stop 38, in conjunction with a correspondingly profiled edge311 of pawl 31, so controls its pivotal excursion when key is depressedthat the pawl 31 engages tooth-set 362 in order to shorten the bracelet.Therefore, movement of the keys 12, 13 results in arbitrary shorteningand loosening, respectively, of the bracelet.

It may be appropriate that the loosening be restricted to a given amountand that complete disconnection be made possible only by takingadditional steps. To that end, a further set of teeth 363 is provided onratchet wheel 36, with an outer diameter exceeding that of set 362. Ifupon depressing of key 13 the bracelet is lossened tooth by tooth, aposition will finally be reached in which the clockwise stepping ratchetwheel 36 hits pawl 31 with the first tooth of tooth set 363. No furtherloosening by depressing key 13 then is possible. If, however, thebracelet is to be opened, both keys must be depressed simultaneously, inthe manner required in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. When key 13 isdepressed, the nose 312 of pawl 31 rests only against the front side ofextension 132. If key 12 is depressed additionally, nose 312 glidesoutwardly over the front face of extension 132 and disconnectspawl-tooth 313 from the ratchet wheel 36.

Whereas loosening of the bracelet in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 through3 takes place only when there is a sufficient pull in the longitudinaldirection of the bracelet, a further embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4provides perforce loosening by one tooth upon every pressure on theappropriate key and loosening by further teeth if a correspondingtension is exerted. To achieve this end, only a few modifications arerequired with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, and suchmodifications in part overlap with those of FIG. 3. Therefore, the samereference symbols are used in FIG. 4 as in FIGS. 1 and 2 and whereappropriate in FIG. 3, provided the same components are involved, and nonew description is required. Use is made in the modified embodiment ofFIG. 4 of a ratchet wheel 46 which largely corresponds to ratchet wheel36 of FIG. 3. There is merely a substitution of the set of teeth 361 bya set of teeth 461. As set of teeth 463 corresponds to the set of teeth363 and a set of teeth 462 corresponds to the set of teeth 362 of lesserdiameter. Therefore, ratchet wheel 46 together with pawl 31 operate inthe same manner as in the embodiment of FIG. 3. In order to achieve thedesired effect of the embodiment of FIG. 4, the locking beak 133 of FIG.3 is replaced by a pawl 222 rotatably supported at 225 near the rear end221 of locking latch 22. Pawl 222 is provided with two extensions 223and 224, the former resting against a stop 134 carried by key 13 and thelatter, which is located on the other side of support 225, acting onspring 24. Spring 24 in this manner ensures that the pawl 22 is made torest against stop-edge 131 with its rear end 221 and that, furthermore,extension 223 of pawl 22 is made to rest against stop 134. When key 13is depressed, the ratchet wheel 46 is forced clockwise by one tooth andthis process is repeated when the key is depressed again. However, aloosening may be exerted in the lengthwise direction of the braceletupon depressing key 13 and so make the ratchet wheel progress clockwiseonly until the first tooth of the set 463 comes to rest against pawltooth 313 of pawl 31. The bracelet then can be loosened further uponadditional depression of key 12, as already described in relation toFIG. 3.

A further modification is shown in FIGS. 5 through 7. In essence, thegear-rack 17 of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 through 4 and the outwardextension 171 and the hook-shaped attachement 172 is divided into twoparts mutually displaceable in the bracelet's longitudinal direction.For the sake of clarity those parts which remain the same with respectto the emobidments already described keep the same reference symbols asin the prior figures. Besides the slider with gear-rack 17 and hook-likeattachment 172, only key 12 is modified, and then only slightly. Thesesteps achieve that use can be made of the full stroke of the gear-rackfor shortening or lengthening the bracelet and that additional looseningcan be carried out to open the bracelet. To that end a slider 58 ismounted above another slider 57. The slider 57 is provided with agear-rack meshing with gear 15 in the manner previously described.Slider 58 is, in turn, provided with a hook-like extension 581corresponding to extension 172 of the embodiments in FIGS. 1 through 4.Slider 57 is shown in the position of maximum bracelet loosening.However, the bracelet cannot be opened yet, its end being held by thehook-like extension 581 of supplemental slider 58 and still beinglocated inside housing 11. Opening the bracelet requires detaching alock connected the two slider parts 57 and 58. A latch 60 acting aslocking latch locks the two parts 57 and 58 together. The latch 60 ispivotally supported by slider 58 and has a free edge forced by a spring(not shown) into a recess 571 of the slider 57 when slider 58 is in thepushed-in position. Latch 60 carries a disconnect pin 601 which will beopposite a bevelled surface on a key 52 when the lock is in the positionof maximum bracelet loosening. When key 52 is depressed, bevelledsurface 521 slides underneath pin 601 of latch 60 and disconnectslatter. Thereupon, slider 58 may move with respect to slider 57 into theposition indicated by dash-dot lines in FIG. 6 where the end of thebracelet can be detached from hook 581.

Although only preferred embodiments of the latch have been specificallyillustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minorvariations may be made in the locks without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new:
 1. Lock for connecting the two ends of abracelet, belt and the like, which is detachably connected to at leastone end of the bracelet, characterized in that each of the two ends ofthe bracelet is connected with a movable lock part, said lock includingmeans mounting said lock parts for movement essentially in thelengthwise direction of the bracelet in the opposite directions, drivemeans for effecting synchronous movement of said lock parts, and latchmeans for locking said drive means in a selected position, said lockincluding a housing, and the movable lock parts being sliders guidedinside lengthwise guides of said lock housing, said sliders includinggear racks and said drive means including a gear meshed with said gearracks from opposite sides, said latch means including a disconnectablelocking latch, a disconnect key for disengaging said locking latch. 2.Lock a defined in claim 1, characterized in that said lock housing isthin and has narrow sides, and said disconnect key is mounted at one ofsaid narrow sides of the lock housing.
 3. Lock as defined by claim 1,characterized in that there is at least two of said locking latches, anda disconnect-key is associated with each locking latch.
 4. Lock asdefined in claim 3, characterized in that said lock housing is thin andhas narrow sides, and said disconnect keys acting as disconnectingelements for both locking elements are mounted at the opposite narrowsides of said lock housing.
 5. Lock as defined by claim 3, characterizedin that one of said locking latches of said ratchet-wheel effects thestepwise disconnection of the bracelet upon every depression of theassociated disconnect-key.
 6. Lock for connecting the two ends of abracelet, belt and the like, which is detachably connected to at leastone end of the bracelet, characterized in that each of the two ends ofthe bracelet is connected with a movable lock part, said lock includingmeans mounting said lock parts for movement essentially in thelengthwise direction of the bracelet in the opposite directions, drivemeans for effecting synchronous movement of said lock parts, and latchmeans for locking said drive means in a selected position, said lockincluding a housing, and the movable lock parts being sliders guidedinside lengthwise guides of said lock housing, said sliders includinggear racks and said drive means including a gear meshed with said gearracks from opposite sides, said latch means including a disconnectablelocking latch, said gear having associated therewith a ratchet-wheel,and said locking latch being engaged with said ratchet-wheel, saidratchet-wheel controls the motion of said sliders, and there being anadvance-pawl activated by a reciprocable key carried by said housing forrotating said ratchet-wheel.
 7. Lock as defined in claim 6,characterized in that there are two of said locking latches and one ofthe locking latches for said ratchet-wheel acts as an advance-latch. 8.Lock as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the advance of saidadvance-pawl per key-depression is selected to be equal to thetooth-pitch of said ratchet-wheel.
 9. Lock for connecting the two endsof a bracelet, belt and the like, which is detachably connected to atleast one end of the bracelet, characterized in that each of the twoends of the bracelet is connected with a movable lock part, said lockincluding means mounting said lock parts for movement essentially in thelengthwise direction of the bracelet in the opposite directions, drivemeans for effecting synchronous movement of said lock parts, and latchmeans for locking said drive means in a selected position, said drivemeans providing for a maximum wide position of the bracelet and openingof the bracelet and the like is possible only in that position.
 10. Lockas defined in claim 9, characterized in that said drive means includestwo control devices, and lock-opening in the maximally wide openposition of the bracelet and the like requires simultaneous operation ofsaid two control devices.
 11. Lock for connecting the two ends of abracelet, belt and the like, which is detachably connected to at leastone end of the bracelet, characterized in that each of the two ends ofthe bracelet is connected with a movable lock part, said lock includingmeans mounting said lock parts for movement essentially in thelengthwise direction of the bracelet in the opposite directions, drivemeans for effecting synchronous movement of said lock parts, and latchmeans for locking said drive means in a selected position, said lockincluding a housing, and the movable lock parts being sliders guidedinside lengthwise guides of said lock housing, said sliders includinggear racks and said drive means including a gear meshed with said gearracks from opposite sides, said latch means including a disconnectablelocking latch, said gear having associated therewith a ratchet-wheel,and said locking latch being engaged with said ratchet-wheel, at leastone of said lock parts being at least a two-part component for thepurpose of connecting a bracelet and the like end to said lock, saidcomponent parts being telescoped, and lock means for locking saidcomponent parts together when in their telescoped position.
 12. Lock asdefined in claim 11, characterized in that there is a push key foracting on said lock means between the two telescoped component parts fordisconnecting said component parts when said one lock part is in abracelet and the like loosening position.
 13. A lock for connecting twoends of an article of the bracelet and belt type, said lock comprising athin flat lock housing having various sides and open ends, a gearrotatably mounted with said housing, sliders guided within said housingand having gear racks engaged with said gear, said sliders extending outthrough said housing open ends and having means thereon for attachmentto the ends of said article, latch means for locking said gear againstrotation, and combined latch releasing and gear drive means carried bysaid housing.
 14. The lock of claim 13 wherein said combined latchreleasing and gear drive means is in the form of a key mounted withinsaid housing for reciprocable movement.
 15. The lock of claim 14 whereinsaid key is mounted in one of said housing narrow sides.